i’m tangled up in you, miss crazy beautiful
by alice hattercandy
Summary: The world is ending. However, for the two of them, it’s just the beginning of something crazy, something beautiful.


**title.** i'm tangled up in you, miss crazy/beautiful**  
disclaimer. **applied**  
summary. **the world is ending, however, for the two of them, it's just the beginning of something crazy, something beautiful.  
**prompt/s. **"i think you're beautiful, i think you're crazy, i think i want to be tangled in with you."

* * *

_"I think you're beautiful, I think you're crazy, I think I want to be tangled up in you."_

**.**

**.**

He was flying across the sky, a vision in black. In his arms, he held a fragile bundle in white. He ignored the noise of bloodshed and clashing metals around him, above him, behind him. Narrowed amber eyes looked around for a temporary sanctuary, a place for her to rest.

His brown eyes flashed when he felt her grip around his neck and shoulders loosened.

"Inoue."

She didn't respond.

His frown deepened.

"Hold on." Her grip remained loose. "Hold on tighter." His voice was low, strong.

He felt her blink slowly, her lashes brushing his skin. Slowly, her arms moved, tightening around his neck. Locks of auburn hair touched his frowning face. He kept her head tucked under his chin, her warm lips on his collarbone.

He swallowed tightly, frown darkening.

The war raged on. Blood spilled, lives were taken, swords clashed.

The world _is _ending.

Bleeding.

Falling apart.

_Just like her._

His arm around her body tightened.

_Over there._

Urahara's Four Pillars. He flew towards one of them. When Ichigo touched down, it was silent. He stabbed Zangetsu on the ground behind him. Placing his sword arm around her, a hand on the small of her back, he lowered her to her feet.

But she didn't let go.

Instinctively, his arms around her body tightened, crushing her to his hard body. She held on him, like someone so broken.

_Don't fall apart._

Her head was tucked underneath his chin. She was breathing deeply, and she was shivering. Her hands were on his nape, gripping at his hair. Ichigo ignored the warm breathing on his collarbone, the grip on his hair.

He moved his head down to whisper on her ear. "Don't… Don't fall apart."

Her grip tightened.

"Don't…" his voice trailed off, brown eyes widening as her head tilt back helplessly, as if boneless. Quickly, he clutched the back of her head with his large hand, long auburn locks falling through the gaps of his fingers.

"Inoue!"

She felt like she was falling apart.

_No._

He had to keep her together. He _had to._

Ichigo watched her pale face, her panting parted lips, the thick lashes on her cheeks, and her scrunched nose, which oddly, given the circumstance they were currently in, he found cute.

"Inoue." Ichigo called again, cradling the back of her head, his other arm around her mid-back.

As her lashes fluttered, his pulse skipped a beat.

Smoky gray eyes opened. They were glazed over. Ichigo stared deeply into those eyes, vivid brown-amber eyes flashing brightly.

"Are you hurt?"

Orihime breathed into his face, and Ichigo suppressed a shiver.

It was _warm_.

"Inoue. Oi." He shook her gently.

"Don't…" She began in a hoarse voice. Her eyes drifted close.

"Huh?"

He watched her neck moved delicately as she swallowed.

"…shake m-me."

Ichigo blinked a couple of times. "Alright…" His frown deepened. Wind lashed out, and his spiky hair fell to his eyes, while Orihime's rippled behind her, creating a waterfall of dark auburn. "You're tired, aren't you?" Unconsciously, he started to massage her hair as he slowly brought her closer to his chest. He gave her a few minutes to collect herself, unconscious of their intimate closeness: faces inches apart, breathing into each other, chest to chest, hips to hips, thighs to thighs, and his arms around her fragile, curvy body.

"Inoue." He repeated in his guttural voice, and he felt her shiver.

Straight lashes lifted slowly, revealing large gray eyes.

Those large eyes blinked once, and they reminded Ichigo of baby dragons. Then, she started staring, her gaze very direct that Ichigo felt the tip of his ears go red. Then, she licked her lips, and his amber stare deviated _there._

He swallowed first. "Are you alright?"

She blinked a couple of times. Her brows creased in a wince, eyes squinting and watering. Her hands went up to clutch her head.

Ichigo's frown deepened, arms tightening painfully around her. "Hey! Are you alright?"

The kidnapped girl nodded, still clutching at her hair, her large gray eyes watery. Frowning deeply, he uncoiled his arms from around her body and put his hands on top of hers, grabbing hold of her fragile fingers. She jerked at his touch, eyes staring up to him.

There was something about her eyes, about the way she looked at him that made him swallow _painfully_. "Hey, hey… don't—" he swallowed again, "look at me like that."

An innocent blink. "I…"

"Wait here, Inoue." She looked as if to argue but Ichigo continued, his grip on her hands tightening. "I know you want to fight, but you're exhausted. Destroying Hougyoku took up all of your reaitsu." His eyes smoldered, and Orihime doubted he was aware of that. "You need rest."

"O-okay…"

"Good." He murmured, looking deeply into her eyes, his face in an intense frown. He watched several auburn-red strands flew between their faces. "I'll come back as soon as possible. Just wait."

She smiled.

And he was reminded of fairytales.

He can't help it but smile back, a little.

It was she who pulled away from him, stepping back, pulling her hands away from his, and Ichigo watched the distance between them with an intense odd expression.

"I…" Her voice sounded so small, so tired. She tried again. "I'll see you… later, Kurosaki-kun."

He stared at her, orange locks between his burning, flashing eyes. Orihime fidgeted under the frighteningly intense stare, cheeks flooding with color.

"Wait for me."

Her eyes widened.

"I'll come back to get you."

A few heartbeats of staring with suppressed longing and vivid passion passed between them.

Ichigo turned to go but to his surprise, he was stopped by a soft voice. "Kurosaki-kun…" and then, there were thin fingers wrapping around his wrist. What surprise him more was the _strength_ as Orihime tugged him to face her.

There was something in her touch that made him shivery.

"Yeah?" He looked down at her, eyebrows arching.

"I… I…" She began softly. Ichigo's gaze drifted to her hand on his wrist. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"I'll be careful, don't worry."

There was a surge of heavy reiatsu.

Aizen.

Fear overflowed from her eyes. Her grip tightened.

"Inoue—"

"I'm scared." She whispered brokenly.

His frown softened slightly in understanding. He tried to smile. "It will be alright."

Large gray eyes shimmered. "I'm scared…" Ichigo pinched his lips together, "… that… t-that I would not be able to see you again."

Ichigo's eyes widened.

"Please," she whispered clearly. "Promise me." Ichigo stiffened when Orihime grabbed at the front of his kimono. "Don't die."

She was standing closer now, so close that he can smell her hair and see the silver spots in her eyes. He looked deeply into her wide eyes, his eyes burning with fire and passion. "Inoue." He said in a low, strong voice.

She was looking at him like someone so broken, like someone so free, like someone so hopeful.

Ichigo freed his hand from her grip to hold her hand, squeezing her fingers.

"I won't die."

She stared at him for a long time, and then her eyes darkened in resolve. She set her lips in a determined grim line.

Surprising him, she cupped his face, fingers digging deeply into his thick orange hair. Strongly, she brought his face down to hers and at the same time, she tiptoed and pressed her warm lips on his.

His eyes widened, brightened, smoldered violently, and then squinted.

_Inoue._

The world _is _ending around them, above them.

The world _is _falling apart around them, above them.

_Don't die._

_KUROSAKI-KUN!_

He shut his eyes tightly.

_Damn it._

Orihime was about to pull back but Ichigo surprised her by putting a hand at the back of her head, pulling her closer, moving his lips on top of hers frantically.

_I won't die._

Not only he kissed her back, but he completely dominated her, taking as much as he can, drawing his strength from her, _believing _there's something— _someone to return _to after all the bloody war, skirmish and tears. He heard her whimper against his lips. His tongue slipped out and touched her lower lip. Orihime suppressed a moan by biting on his lower lip quickly. He groaned deeply, a rumble in his throat as he roughly cradled the back of her head, slanting his mouth over hers in an attempt to consume her. Arms wound around her, enveloping her in a crushing embrace that made her gasp.

_I won't die._

"Ku…Kurosaki-kun…" she panted against his mouth.

"I won't die."

His lids lifted.

"Open your eyes."

Her eyes slowly opened, and they reached out to him, calming him.

Ichigo kissed her again deeply. "I won't die." He vowed against her swollen, hot lips. "_I won't die._"

She held onto him. "Kurosaki-kun…"

He cupped her cheek, rubbing her cheekbone with his large thumb. "I won't die." He whispered, his other hand tangled in her hair. He kissed her again, forcing her to open up to him, soften and surrender.

She closed her eyes tightly.

"I'll finish this." They pressed their foreheads together as they held on each other. Desperately. "I will bring Sado, Ishida, Rukia and Renji back. Together, we will go back home. I will bring you back home."

Unshed tears made her eyes brighter. She nodded.

Ichigo slowly pulled away from her. "Wait for me."

She looked up to him. He was walking backwards, still looking at her.

"I don't want you to promise."

"…"

"You _will_ wait for me."

Ichigo yanked Zangetsu up. The corner of his mouth turned up in a small arrogant smile as he glanced at her. Orange locks swayed in front of his piercing amber eyes that made her knees weak.

"Orihime."

She jerked in surprise, wide-eyed.

"I think you're beautiful." And he liked _that_ swollen lips look.

Orihime blushed violently.

Vicious spiritual pressures swirled in the air, falling heavily on them. But Ichigo kept upright, Orihime grimaced but held her ground, gazes locked with each others'.

As the violent, choking reiatsu crushed on them, he smirked crookedly, she smiled serenely.

The world _is _ending.

But it's just the beginning.

Their worlds collided.

Their lives tangled.

And Ichigo didn't mind... tangling his lips with hers.


End file.
